Cassie
by Cielois Phancy
Summary: After unlocking his late father's safe, Ciel Phantomhive finds several pictures of a mysterious woman, but what really catches his eye is a picture of a child with the name "Annalise" written on the back of it. {-Some chapters may get a bit graphic, so be warned-}
1. Photographs

Chapter 1: Photographs.

**Ciel's POV**

I sat tediously in my study as I waited for Sebastian to bring the afternoon tea. I sighed as I stared up at the ceiling, "What's taking him so long?"

As if on cue, the door swung open and in walked my mischievous butler. "Your tea, my lord," he said as he took the tray off of the cart and placed in on my desk.

"Sebastian," I said as I took a sip from the cup and placed it back down on the desk.

"Yes?" He asked.

I twiddled with my ring as I spoke, "Something's been on my mind lately..."

He rose a brow, "What is it?"

"When the manor was rebuilt," I started, "I remember there being a safe that was found here in the study under all of the rubbish. Do you know where that safe is now?"

He placed his index finger on his chin as he pondered the question, "If I remember correctly, it was put in the attic."

"Could you get it for me?" I asked.

He nodded as he placed his hand over his chest, "Of course, my lord." After saying that, he exited the room.

I believe that safe was my father's. If I can just think of the code for it, then I'll be able to see what it was that he kept hidden in there...

Sebastian came back into the room with a small rusty safe. He held it over top of the desk as I stood up slightly to take it out of his hands.

I sat back down as I gazed at the metal box in my lap. I took a deep breath as I then began turning the dial, trying to figure out what the code is.

* * *

After several failed attempts at opening the safe, I slammed my fist down on the desk in frustration, "This is useless! I can't figure out the damn code!"

"Did you try your birthday?" Sebastian asked.

I sighed heavily as I ran my fingers through my hair, "Of course I tried my damned birthday!"

The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly, "Did you try the day after your birthday?"

"Why would it be the day after my birth-" I asked as I began inputing the code, but stopped mid-sentence when I heard an unlocking sound.

"I'm sorry, Young Master, I didn't quite catch that. What were you saying?"

I shot him a glare as I opened the small door on the safe, "Shut up."

"As you wish." He cooed.

I placed the safe on my desk as I pulled out everything that was in it. I furrowed my brows when I noticed that it was all only photographs of the same woman.

"That's odd... Sebastian," I said as I held out a photo of the mysterious woman, "Do you know who this is?"

He narrowed his eyes at the photo before shaking his head, "No, I don't believe I do."

"Are you sure this is the right safe?" I asked, continuing to look through the photos.

He nodded, "I'm certain it is."

"Okay," I said plainly, too focused on the photos to give a proper response.

I skimmed through the photos, but paused when I saw a document about an orphanage. "What's this?" I mumbled as I read through the document.

It looked like a small article about the Rainsworth orphanage in London. But what use would my father have with this? And that's when I saw it...

Behind the document was one last photo, but this one was of a small child. It was a girl, and she had the same navy hair and sapphire eyes as my father and I. She looked nothing like the woman in the other photos, so what's the connection?

"What the..." I turned the photo around and saw that "Annalise" was written on it in his handwriting.

Of all of these photos, the only name given was Annalise. Does this mean that the child's name is Annalise? Considering how old she looks in the photo and how old this safe is, I'd assume that this girl must be around my age. But why does father have this in his safe?

"Prepare the carriage." I ordered, my gaze never leaving the photo.


	2. Abuse

Chapter 2: Abuse.

_She woke up to pure darkness and a throbbing head. The girl felt the area around her to figure out whether or not she was in her chamber. Her hands came into contact with a cool metal floor and metal bars that kept her within a restricted area. The air was chilled and thick._

_She must be in a basement, but what basement?_

_She raised her hand above her head to see if there was room to stand, only to discover that there wasn't. Her breath quickened and her heart raced as she hugged her legs closely and buried her face in her knees._

_"Alright! Everyone wake up! We gotta get some food in ya!" A man called out, his friends making loud noises with pots and pans._

_The girl jolted backwards, along with all of the other captives._

_It was nearly pitch black, the only light being a candle with a faint flame emitting the smallest bit of light._

_One by one, the children were yanked to the side of the cage with a mysterious liquid shoved down their throats._

_The girl laid on the cold metal floor, shivering with tears slipping down her face. Her face and throat ached from the abuse she received previously in the day, and she just wanted it to go away._

_The pain... The cold... The horror of it all... Just make it go away._

* * *

The flashback struck her across with such force, the girl vomited everything in her stomach due to the horrible memories.

"S-Somebody..." She whispered, her breath uneven and her body trembling, "H-Help..."

A blinding light took over as a door opened up, allowing three men into the room. The girl's eyes adjusted soon enough for her to look around the room she was in.

Dozens of corpses soaked in a pool of blood surrounded her cage, the sight no less gruesome than the night she met that demon.

"This is our last one. We're on a tight schedule with this one, so we gotta be quick. Her bodyguard is unbelievable." The tallest man said, his face expressionless and voice monotone. It was clear these corpses were nothing new to him.

"Why couldn't we just get 'er first then? If she was such a bother, we shoulda just finished 'er off and lose the risk." The second man complained, smiling wickedly. He'd clearly lost his humanity long ago.

The third man stayed completely silent, his eyes sunken in and his face made it obvious that he was being forced to complete this task.

The girl backed up to the farthest corner of the cage, trembling violently. She tried to scream. Scream for help. Scream for her mother, her father, God, anybody. Nothing came out, though.

Her eyes became heavy and her mind went blank. Drool slipped down her chin and puddled onto the floor.

_What was happening?_

Her body fell to the floor as it became completely numb and her vision began to fade.

"Drugs are finally kicking in. That's why we took so long. It's easier to get them out of the cage when they're drugged up like this. She'll recover in twenty minutes flat. She got the smallest dosage possible." The tall man said in response to his accomplice.

* * *

Once she regained consciousness, she was already beaten half to death. The small girl sat on a stage, tied to a pole and lights flashed on her.

"...antomhive. We didn't really realize how important she was until we'd begun our orders. We decided with her father's amount of enemies, this would be the best use."

The hands flew up and a line quickly formed. Men and women wielding different weapons approached the girl and began swinging, punching, biting, you name it.

The people were stopped, due to the fact that the girl's body couldn't handle any more. "We won't be able to get you all today. She will heal up and you all can come back in a week." The tall man stated, money nearly spilling out of his pockets.

Grabbed by her matted and filthy hair, the girl was untied and taken back to the basement. She laid in the cage, staring into the darkness and moaning in pain.

Maybe it was time to give up. On that demon, on people, on everything.

* * *

After hours of agony, the poor girl finally drifted into a restless slumber. Pain and terrorizing dreams woke her in the night countless times.

Days past, and the only substance that was allowed to enter the girl's body was water.

"You get your master's leftover oatmeal every four days. We don't wanna spoil ya~" One of the men had told her, while shoving a tube down her throat for water.

That's how every substance entered her body. Through a tube that was shoved down her throat.

After every eating and feeding session, she would cough up a small amount of blood from her throat.

She had become a hollow shell of herself. Merely existing.

* * *

Once again, a man entered the room with a tube and a bowl of cold oatmeal. By this point, the girl would lay by the edge of the cage. She was too thin and too exhausted to move the distance.

Just as he was grabbed by his shirt, the man stopped. His face showed shock and he collapsed to the ground in the pool of blood and rotting bodies.

The girl was pulled into the arms of an unknown person who hesitated for a moment, "My... You're worse off than my Bassy warned me... Poor thing..."


	3. The Orphanage

Chapter 3: The Orphanage.

**Ciel's POV**

I sighed in relief when the carriage finally came to a stop.

Not even a second later, Sebastian opened the door and held his hand out for me, waiting to help me out of the carriage.

I narrowed my eyes at him when I noticed the vaguely visible burn marks on his wrist, "Why isn't that burn healing?"

A somewhat shocked expression claimed his face, but was gone almost as soon as it had appeared. He shook his head, "I just got this burn recently, so it will take another hour or so before it heals entirely."

That was odd...

I simply shrugged it off and hopped out of the carriage. I gazed up at the building in front of me, "Everything in that safe leads to here."

"Shall we go inside?" Sebastian asked, taking a step forward.

I nodded, "The sooner, the better."

He gave a curt nod then walked to the entrance of the building, holding the door open for me.

I entered the building and looked around, "It's bigger than I had originally thought."

"Well, it _is_ an orphanage, my lord." Sebastian cooed.

I ignored his comment and continued walking.

A woman with long moonbeam blonde hair then walked down the large staircase with a small child in her arms. When she spotted Sebastian and I she smiled brightly, "Just a moment." She then placed the child on the ground and handed him a blanket, sending him to his room. She walked over to us and bowed slightly, "Sorry for making you wait, it's nap time, you see."

Sebastian offered the woman a smile and shook his head, "It was no problem at all, my lady. If you don't mind, my Young Master and I have a few questions we'd like you to answer."

She nodded, "Of course! Lets go into my office then, shall we?" She shot us another one of her smiles and led us to one of the side rooms. She sat down behind the desk and I took the seat in front of it, Sebastian taking his place by my side.

"My name is Samantha Dyer, I'm one of the foster parents here at the Rainsworth orphanage." She introduced.

"I'm Ciel Phantomhive, the Queen's guard dog." I said rather plainly.

"So what was it that you had to ask me?" She asked, resting her elbows on the desk.

I pulled out a photo of the strange woman and one of the child, "Do you know who either of these people are?"

She nearly gasped as she pointed to the photo of the child, "That's Annalise. She was one of the orphans here..."

"Was?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

Tears formed in her hazel eyes as she spoke, "She went missing about two years ago. The other children said that she ran away, but I don't see how that could be true. She was such a sweet, cheerful little girl..."

"Do you know where she could have went? Perhaps any family members that she may have knew of?" I asked.

She shook her head, "When Annalise first came to the orphanage, she was only a few weeks old. She was left at the doorstep in the middle of winter, with only a letter that stated her name and birthday. There was a picture of a man who I guessed was her father, but that was it. It didn't even say what his name was, or what her mother's name was."

I folded my arms over my chest as I leaned forward, "What's her full name?"

"Annalise Cassandra," she uttered, "There was no last name given in the letter."

"Damn it..." I cursed under my breath.

Samantha furrowed her brows as she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose, "Is there any specific reason why you're looking for Annalise? Is she a long lost relative or something, because the two of you share a shocking resemblance."

For some peculiar reason, my heart had skipped a beat at the woman's statement. I then nodded my head faintly, "You think so? But yes... That's why I'm searching for her." I lied.

If I were to tell her my true intentions, she surely wouldn't give me any more information about the girl.

"I'm sorry, my young lord." Samantha spoke quietly, "We tried getting the Scotland Yard to look for her around the time she first went missing, but after several months without any leads, they gave up."

I shook my head, "It's alright, I understand. It must've been hard for you and the other children here..."

She sighed heavily, "It was indeed. I can't imagine how it must be for you, though. I'm assuming that you've just recently been made aware of this girl's existence. It must bring you a lot of sorrow knowing that she's been missing for two years..."

I unfolded my arms and ran my fingers through my hair whilst making the saddest expression I could muster, "I'm sure I'll find Annalise someday..."

The tears that had formed in Samantha's eyes previously were now visibly escaping the barrier and streaming lightly down her face, "I'm confident that you will, my young lord."

I stood up from the seat with a small sigh, "I think it's about time for me to return to my manor... Thank you for your help, Miss Dyer."

She smiled halfheartedly, "You're quite welcome. Have a safe trip."

I gave her one last nod and exited the building.

"That was quite a believable performance, my lord." Sebastian said as he opened the carriage door.

I shrugged as I hopped in, "Anything to get information about those two girls."


	4. Breakdown

Chapter 4: Breakdown.

The girl was pulled into the arms of an unknown person who hesitated for a moment, "My... You're worse off than my Bassy warned me... Poor thing..."

After almost an entire week of strangers coming in and out of her life, there was one voice she recognized.

_Grell_.

Being held close, she was carried up the stairs and through the nearest window escape. "Bassy tried for days, but there was something preventing him from entering the property," the man explained, running fast in the direction of the woods. "Apparently there was a blessing on the building. It really wore him out even trying to get in. So, he finally called for me. But I don't see why he didn't call for me earlier! I would have been an amazing nurse for my dear Bassy~ he would be my patient and fall in lo-" He stopped himself, remembering the situation and for the first time since meeting the young girl, remained silent.

The girl couldn't help but feel anger towards that demon. Leaving her for dead... Sebastian was a demon. He couldn't be that hurt. Not hurt enough to give up on her...

At least that's what she thought.

* * *

Back in a large mansion deep in the forest, Grell laid the frail girl in a comfy queen sized bed. He gently placed the covers over her and tucked her in, distress and worry evident in his expression.

Undertaker entered the room and looked down at the lifeless girl, stroking her matted navy hair ever so lightly, "I'm sorry that we couldn't get to you sooner, love." He then sighed heavily and pulled a chair to the side of the bed, sitting in it. He cautiously removed the blankets from the girl and began treating her wounds.

* * *

It was the middle of the night, and Undertaker had finally finished tending to the girl's injuries.

At that moment, Sebastian entered the mansion and made his way up the staircase and down the hallway. He stared anxiously at the two shinigamis who stood in the doorway of the girl's bedroom. Undertaker stepped aside, and the demon ran as fast as he could to the young girl's side.

For only a moment, everything was peaceful. However, Grell interrupted their moment with a hushed tone, "Bas-Sebastian... She isn't doing well. She's... she's really injured. And none of her wounds were treated right while she was there. Undertaker did all he could to treat them, but even then-"

"The chances of her surviving are minimal." The Undertaker spoke up.

Sebastian looked at the shinigami, his eyes widening slightly and directing their attention at the girl.

Her eyes were mostly closed, showing that she was trying with all her might to keep them somewhat open. Her chest moved fast, her breaths short and quick.

The demon did a quick inspection of the injuries and tensed up at the realization that there really wasn't that much of a chance. "...But there still is a chance... even if it is small..." He mumbled, sitting down in the seat the Undertaker had pulled up previously. "I won't give up, my Young Mistress."

When she saw the burns on the demon's skin, her anger she had felt towards him vanished immediately. The way he cared for her caused a bit of guilt to grow within her for even being upset with him in the first place.

Her eyelids grew heavy as tears began to stream from her eyes. It felt as if her throat was on fire, and she couldn't even speak. She just laid there, sobbing in silence.

Sebastian's gaze grew soft and sorrowful as he placed his hand in hers, gently caressing her thumb, "Please forgive me."

* * *

Meals were kept simple so they could be easily digested. Every night, Sebastian would lay with the girl, but would disappear every morning.

This went on for weeks. And for weeks, she remained silent. Ever since her return to the mansion, she has not spoken a single word.

That is, until she broke down.

They hadn't spoken of the events that had taken place during the girl's absense. He yearned to hear her voice, but Sebastian didn't want to push, considering the fact that the girl wouldn't even speak to tell him what she wanted to eat when he would ask.

But she couldn't take it anymore.

She woke up in the middle of the night, darkness engulfing her. Fear took over and the girl began screaming at the top of her lungs, curling up within herself.

The candle Sebastian had lit every night went out due to a soft breeze coming through the window.

Sebastian sat upright and pulled the girl into his arms, assuring her that everything would be alright. The demon snapped his fingers, and the room lit up enough for them to see each other. He held the girl's tear-soaked face in both hands. He smiled sadly and pulled her close, rubbing her back and not saying a word.

She said it all. She told him everything that happened during the time she was held captive.

With each word, Sebastian's heart grew heavier and heavier.

He held the broken girl in his arms, kissing the top of her head and speaking softly words of promise for the future, words of love and reassurance. "No matter how far, how terrible things may seem, how bleak the world may look, my Young Mistress, I will save you. Some way, somehow. Whether it's using a shinigami or ending my life, I will protect you. Until the very end."

Warmth consumed her with the touch of another. She closed her swollen eyes, filled with content.

_Sebastian_...

Her lips brushed against the demon's neck, her frosty lips were magnetized to the demon's blissfully hot skin.

Sebastian's body was a blanket wrapping around her, inviting her to fall into slumber for the second time that night.

Her arms sagged down vaguely, sleep taking over her body. Her lips rested against the demon's collarbone, faintly kissing him.

"Goodnight." He whispered.


	5. Relationships

Chapter 5: Relationships.

**Ciel's POV**

"For today's dessert, we have a triple chocolate layer cake with a fudge frosting, my young lord." Sebastian sat down the china plate carrying the generiously sized piece of cake on the table in front of me.

I couldn't help but notice the bit of frosting that was smudged on the plate. It was strangely irresponsible to serve a dirty dish, especially for Sebastian.

Now that I think about it, he has been acting rather odd as of late. First it was the burn marks on his wrist, and now this. Not to mention the fact that he's seemed entirely unfocused every time he does something...

"Was your mind somewhere other than the plate, Sebastian?" I questioned, hinting the smudge on the corner of the dish.

"Deepest apologies, my lord. My mind _was_ somewhere else when preparing your dish." He stated simply, taking his handkerchief and wiping away the smudge.

I rose a brow at his statement, "Oh? Could you tell me where your mind was, then?"

"To be quite honest, I had that young girl on my mind." He spoke solemnly.

I sighed as I put my elbow on the desk and rested my head in the palm of my hand, "I can't say I blame you. It's been on my mind a lot lately as well."

We've been searching for information about her for weeks, yet nothing has come up. The only thing we know about her is what Samantha Dyer told us at the orphanage.

"If you don't mind me asking," he started, "What is it that comes to mind when you think of that girl?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He furrowed his brows as he spoke, "When you think of Annalise, what is it that you think about? What do you think her relationship is with the previous earl? And where do you think she is now?"

He sure is asking a lot of questions today...

I pursed my lips together as I pondered his question. "When I think of Annalise, I think of a girl around my age who looks somewhat similar to me. When I think about what her relationship could be with my father, my mind goes blank. I have no idea what it could be. And when I think about where she might be, well... I think perhaps she's a servant at someone's manor, or perhaps she's dead."

"What makes you think she's dead?" He asked, staring at me intently.

I shrugged, "I thought you would come to the same conclusion, Sebastian. She's a twelve-year old orphan with nowhere to go. She could have easily been abducted and traded throughout the black market. If that were the case, there's no doubt that she's dead now. However, if she is alive, then we need to find her."

He simply nodded, "I see..."

"You seem strangely fascinated by that girl." I noted, "Is there any special reason for that? Do you know who Annalise is?"

He smirked ever so slightly, "There is a chance."

I glowered at the demon as I bolted up from my seat, "If you knew about Annalise, why didn't you tell me?! We wasted all that time searching for information about her!"

His grin widened as he bowed, "My apologies, my lord, but you never asked me if I knew who Annalise was."

I sat back down in my chair as I rubbed my temples in annoyance, "Okay, then tell me who Annalise is."

"Annalise Cassandra Phantomhive." He recited, "She is the illegitimate child of Vincent Phantomhive, who was born December 15, 1875. Her late mother, Judith Sullivan, died on January 9, 1876. On December 31, 1875, which was around a week before she died, she placed Annalise at the doorstep of the Rainsworth Orphanage, due to the fact that she was unable to care for her because of her lack of money and poor health. Why she chose to leave her newborn child outside the orphanage in the middle of the night during the winter, was because she didn't want anyone to see her because she planned on running away that same night. You see, Judith did not wish to burden the previous earl with a child, or ruin his relationship with his wife. So, she kept her pregnancy a secret from him. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

I was speechless.

To think, my father was seeing another woman while he was with my mother... It's unbelievable...

"How do you know all of that?" I asked, my voice hardly audible.

"I was watching over Annalise when it all happened." He replied.

I shook my head as I stared at the ground, "It's not true, is it? My father wasn't actually unfaithful to my mother, was he?"

Sebastian lowered his head, "I'm afraid he was..."

My chest tightened as my heart began to race, "Why did Judith Sullivan run away?"

"Because there was someone after her."

"Who was after her?" I questioned.

"Mordecai Harvey." He said, "An abusive demon who had fallen in love with her."

I looked up into his piercing crimson orbs, "Is that how she died? Did he kill her?"

He nodded faintly, "He did."

"So, then..." I uttered, "Annalise... Where is she?"

He looked away, "She's currently residing in a mansion deep in the woods, east from here."

I ran my fingers through my hair, "Does she know any of this?"

He shook his head, "No, she knows nothing about her parents or you. She knows her name, her birthday, and all she's experienced since living in the orphanage. That's it."

"I want to meet her." I stated.

Sebastian sighed silently, "I don't know if that's very wise, my lor-"

"I don't care!" I huffed, cutting him off, "If her and I are related by blood and she's still alive, I'm going to meet her!"

"Very well." He mumbled quietly.


	6. Waiting

Chapter 6: Waiting.

_Flames engulfed the world around the navy-haired boy as he sped through the corridors of the Phantomhive Estate._

_Coughing from the smoke, he still managed to call out for his parents, refusing to leave before finding them._

_He ran into the study, where he found two adults with their backs to the doorway, sitting still as if nothing were going on._

_"Mother! Father!" He called out in-between struggled breaths._

_Vincent Phantomhive turned around at an eerily slow pace. "What's wrong, Ciel? Isn't Sebastian here to help you?" The man spoke, seeming to have several different voices escaping through his mouth at once, rather than just his own._

_The mere sight of him could make a grown man faint._

_His eyes were covered in blisters and his burnt skin forced them shut. His skin peeled and melted, melting off of his face in bloody chunks that slipped onto the floor, revealing his jawbone underneath all of the burning flesh._

* * *

Ciel jolted awake in a fright, heart racing, blood rushing through his body so quickly he could feel the veins pulsing within his skin. His eyes darted across the pitch black room, unsure if he were dreaming or if he was simply reliving the worst part of his life.

Unable to keep a steady mind, Ciel yelled at the top of his lungs for Sebastian, who was in the room carrying lit candles within seconds, "Young Master?!" He said in a panic, rushing over to the boy who looked as if he'd lost three-fourths of his blood.

His skin had an ashen appearance, dark circles formed underneath his eyes, and it was almost as if his cheeks had slightly sunken in as well.

Cautiously, the butler sat beside him on the bed and began stroking his hair ever so lightly.

The boy spoke in such a soft tone, it was as if he were whimpering, "Can you stay here... with me tonight, Sebastian? Just until I fall asleep..."

The butler was a bit surprised. But not at the request; at the fact that it wasn't an order. He smiled reassuringly down at the boy as he continued to stroke his hair, "Of course, my young lord."

The young earl lied motionlessly in the large bed. His gaze lingered in the darkness as he was blinded by his own thoughts.

It was clear that he was far too frightened to go back to sleep immediately. However, the butler waited patiently for his master to fall back into slumber, although he dreaded having to keep his mistress waiting.

The same question replayed in the little earl's head as he laid there...

_"What had caused that nightmare?"_

* * *

It was the middle of the day and the navy-haired girl stared blankly up the ceiling.

Undertaker walked into the room with a tray that had a glass of milk and a plate with a small cake on it. "Since you're able to eat solid foods now, I made you your favorite. It's a simple vanilla cake with white frosting on the top that has small bits of chocolate scattered all throughout it, just the way you like it."

The girl smiled halfheartedly as she tried to sit up, but failed and slumped back down with a grunt.

Undertaker placed the tray down on the nightstand and helped the girl lean her back against the headboard of the bed. "Here you are, love." He spoke softly, placing the tray on her lap.

"Thank you." Her voice was hardly audible. She was still too tired to actually raise her voice any louder than a whisper.

He smiled warmly, "Of course, love. Do you need help?"

She shook her head.

He nodded as he reluctantly headed to leave the room, but paused in the doorway. "Love..."

She looked over to him and tilted her head, gesturing for him to continue what he wanted to say.

"I'll have to get back to the shop today, so you'll be here all alone until Mister Sebastian comes later tonight. Will you be alright?" He asked, a hint of dread in his tone.

She nodded with a faint smile spreading across her face. "I'll be fine." She spoke quietly.

He returned the same smile, "Don't overexert yourself, alright?"

She nodded once again as he then left the room and exited the mansion.

* * *

Hours passed and the sun had set, but there was no sign of Sebastian.

The young girl found herself standing in front of a large set of doors. She just stood there, waiting. Waiting for Sebastian to walk through them and pull her into his heavenly embrace. But that never happened.

As time passed, the girl grew more and more worried.

Why wasn't Sebastian here yet?

Another hour had passed, and the girl was far too tired to wait any longer. So, she made her way back to her bedchamber.

All she could think about was Sebastian. A feeling of dismay washed over her as she began to wonder if the demon had forgotten about her.

She wrapped herself inside of a thick silken blanket, sinking into its warmth and protection. She buried her face into the covers that engulfed her fragile, trembling self.

She didn't understand why she was being so emotional. Did she really wish to see Sebastian that badly? Could she not go one night without him by her side?

A single tear turned to two, which turned to six, which turned to a seemingly endless stream of grief, anxiety, depression, and most of all, fear.

Fear for the future...

Fear for being alone...

Fear for death...

Fear for what happens after death comes...

The girl pitied herself. She pitied herself due to the fact that nobody else would. Nobody else could even fathom how much pain she truly felt.

Not even Sebastian...

She cried silently into the blankets while dark thoughts began to cloud her mind.

What if Sebastian really _did_ forget about her? Was this her punishment for being so needy?

And suddenly, _footsteps_.

Sebastian entered the room almost silently, expecting the girl to be asleep by this point. However, soft whimpers coming from the mountain of covers showed otherwise. "Young Mistress...?"

The girl jolted slightly, taken off guard by the demon's entrance. She remained mute, hoping that her cries weren't heard.

Sebastian set the candles on a small table and approached the bed with caution. Moving the covers away gently, he revealed a small, trembling and sobbing girl. Her eyes were puffy with a hint of redness to them, and her face was soaked in tears.

The two were completely speechless.

The girl was pulled into the man's arms and held tightly. "Sebastian..." Her voice wavered, wrapping her arms around the demon.

Nobody ever showed affection to her like the way Sebastian did. Sebastian's affection was the only kind she ever wanted. She yearned for his embrace, and would nearly melt every time she would receive it.

Sebastian looked down at her with glassy eyes, his face trying to hide the sadness within himself that he had for the girl.

The two sat on the bed, holding each other tightly.

Sebastian allowed the quivering girl to sob into his arms while whispering sweet nothings into her ear, trying to comfort her the best he could. "I love you so much..."


	7. Information

Chapter 7: Information.

**Ciel's POV**

Sebastian entered the study with an envelope placed perfectly in the center of a tray, "You have a letter, my lord."

I didn't bother looking up from my paperwork as I spoke, "Who is it from?"

He placed the letter on top of the large stack of documents in front of me, "The Rainsworth Orphanage."

I rose a brow as I opened the envelope and read the letter.

_"It's been a while since we've last spoken. I recently found out some information related to Annalise. Drop by the orphanage whenever you have the time, and I'll tell you everything I know. -Samantha Dyer"_

"Sebastian, prepare the carriage." I ordered, sitting the letter down as I stood up from the desk.

He placed his hand over his chest as he swept me a small bow, "As you wish."

* * *

"It's a pleasure to have you, my young lord." The blonde woman said as she adjusted her glasses, "I didn't expect you to come so soon."

I leaned back in the chair as I offered a sad smile, "I apologize, Miss Dyer, but when I heard that you had discovered some information relating to Annalise, I couldn't help but want to speak with you immediately."

She shook her head, "It's perfectly fine, there's no need for you to apologize."

"So, what exactly is it that you found out?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest.

She looked away as she scratched the back of her head nervously, "Well, you see, what I found out isn't _exactly_ about Annalise..."

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Elaborate."

"It's about her mother." She explained, crossing her legs as she ran her fingers through her pale moonbeam hair. "Her name was Judith Claire Sullivan, born July 23, 1851. The only family she had was her parents and a younger sister. She apparently lived in Paris, but ran away from her home in 1869. She met a noblemen and fell in love with him in 1871, and a few years later, Annalise was born. She appeared to have kept her pregnancy a secret from the noble, and when the day came where her child was born, she went into hiding for a few weeks. After that, she placed her child at the doorstep of the orphanage and ran away, though the reason being why is still a mystery."

"How did you gain this knowledge?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.

"A close friend of mine knew her, apparently. He said she was very dear to him, and told me most of what he knew about her around the time of Annalise's birth." She answered, resting her arms on the oak desk in front of her.

"Who is this friend of yours, if you don't mind me asking?"

The corners of her lips curled up into a somewhat unsettling smile, "His name is Reece Valentine."

"Could you ask Mister Valentine a question for me the next time you see him?" I asked, intrigued by the woman's behavior. It was obvious she was hiding something, but what it could possibly be, I didn't know.

She nodded, "Of course, what is it that you would like for me to ask him?"

"I'll be holding a ball this weekend at my manor." I stated, "And I would greatly appreciate it if he could attend so that I could speak with him."

Her grin widened ever so slightly, "I'll make sure I ask him the moment I see him."

"Thank you very much for your help. I do believe I should be leaving now, though. I don't want to keep you." I said, standing from the chair.

She waved as I exited the room, "Goodbye, my lord."

* * *

Back at the manor, Sebastian placed a plate in front of me as I sat down at the table. "Did you know any of that about that woman?"

The butler gave a curt nod as he strolled the food cart away, "Of course, I knew all of it."

"Is there anything else I should know about her?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Nothing that would be of use to you."

"So, I presume the woman in those photos are her then, correct?"

"Correct, Young Master." He answered, brushing off his coat.

I rose a brow, "You lied to me, then."

"How so?" He asked.

I looked over at him and furrowed my brows, "I showed you a picture of that woman whenever I had unlocked the safe. I asked you if you knew who she was, and you said no. You lied."

A devious smirk spread across his pale face, "That's not true, my lord. You showed me a picture of a different woman, don't you remember? She was slightly younger than Miss Judith, although she did share a striking resemblance to her."

"It wasn't the same woman?" I questioned, clearly surprised by what he had just said.

He nodded, "Indeed it was not. I assume that woman could be the younger sister Miss Dyer mentioned earlier. Speaking of whom, don't you think she looks familiar?"

I took a sip of the tea, then sat the porcelain cup back down onto the table. "Are you talking about Samantha?"

"I am." He answered in his usual stoic voice.

I placed my elbow on the table as I rested my chin in the palm of my hand, "I suppose she did seem _somewhat_ familiar... But that doesn't matter. I'm going to retire for the day." I uttered as I stood up from the table and made my way towards the staircase.

"Very well, my lord." Sebastian cooed, following behind me.


	8. Familiarity

Chapter 8: Familiarity.

Ciel stared down at the plate of food in front of him with a dull expression as he twirled his fork around in it all, creating a mess of the dish. "Sebastian."

"What is it, Young Master?" The butler asked, taking a step forward.

The young earl looked over to him nonchalantly as he dropped the fork in the middle of the plate, "I want to meet Annalise today."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed faintly as he furrowed his brows, "So soon?"

_'Why is it that he always seems so... preservative of that girl?'_ Ciel thought.

He shrugged off the thought as he stood from the table, "Is that a problem?"

"Of course not, my lord. I shall prepare the carriage right away." Sebastian said with a bow, swiftly making his way to the large set of doors.

In truth, Ciel wanted to meet Reece Valentine first, but he was becoming impatient. The ball wasn't for another three days, and though that may seem like a short amount of time, the earl had no desire of waiting for information. So, he figured meeting Annalise firsthand would answer his questions, even if she doesn't know anything about who she really is.

But what was it that made him so impatient? Well, you see... He _wants_ to meet Annalise. Just the thought of seeing her in person makes him anxious.

_'What kind of girl could she be? Does she really resemble my father? Will she like me?'_ These questions plagued the boy's mind as he stalked towards the carriage.

However, one question in particular kept repeating over and over in the young earl's head... _'Why does the name Annalise seem so familiar?'_

* * *

They rode along a dirt path that headed deep into the forest. When the carriage finally came to a stop, Sebastian helped the boy hop out.

Ciel stared in awe at the building before him.

It was a seemingly abandoned mansion that was in a state of horror. It looked as if it could collapse at any given moment.

To put it simply, it was no place for someone to live. _Especially_ a young girl.

"Are you sure this is where she is?" He asked, clearly amazed by how rundown the place was.

Sebastian nodded and spoke with a hint of dread in his tone, "Yes, this is where Miss Annalise has been staying."

The boy furrowed his brows as they walked up to the large set of doors, "And it's just her here, correct?"

Once again, the butler nodded. "Yes, only Miss Annalise lives here." He then opened the door, to which there was a loud creaking sound that echoed throughout the area.

As Ciel strolled into the crumbling mansion, he was greeted by a pitiful-looking girl.

Her skin was as white as snow, the only color to them being the bruises that lingered all over her arms and legs. Dark circles were visible under her cerulean eyes, and her lips were ashen grey. Her hair was matted and her clothes were torn.

And for some reason, this made her seem all too familiar to the earl...

* * *

_The scene was set where the demon and his contractee first met. Petrified and far from home, Ciel lay pinned down on a cold slab of rock, surrounded by men in masks. He tried to break free, squirming and begging to be let go, but of course it was no use._

_The tallest man pulled a long iron rod from a pile of fiery coals, revealing a red-hot brand. The masked man spit on the iron to test the heat, and it immediately sizzled and evaporated away within seconds._

_Seeing this sent chills down Ciel's spine and caused his heart to race so fast it could be heard by the others._

_Without any warning, the brand was pressed against the frail boy's ribcage, his skin bubbling and blistering from the heat as he screamed out into the darkness._

_Unable to walk, he was dragged back to the cage that held him and thrown in without any consideration to the fresh wound on his side._

_The other children around him looked away, knowing there was nothing they could possibly do. The one child who would have even attempted to help him, was the young girl whom he shared his cage with. She was his only sense of light in this dark, dark place._

_But she couldn't help him in the state she was in. She was just beaten half to death, thus resulting in her lying unconscious in the cold metal box._

_Ciel laid on the cage floor, hyperventilating and sobbing in pure agony. The intense pain hazed his hearing and vision, causing every bit of sound and movement to be muffled. However, as soon as his senses were regained, he'd heard all he needed to._

_"...grant any wish you could ever imagine. Any hope, any dream can be fulfilled. And all I need it a single soul. The person noble enough to stand up will spend the rest of eternity after they pass in pure nothingness. So, now... Who would like to form a contract with me?" The voice was familiar and foreign all at the same time._

_The men all hesitated, shuffling and speaking amongst themselves._

_"I... I will..." Ciel moaned out, slowly turning himself towards the black aura in the middle of the room._

_The men shouted, trying to stop the boy. But it was too late..._

_"You want to form a contract, little boy?" The voice taunted, in complete disbelief that someone as young as Ciel would be willing to throw away their eternity for a single wish._

_"Yes... I want to form a contract with you..."_

_The mysterious voice let out a soft chuckle. The aura formed a figure resembling a human and slaughtered the masked men, the children, everyone, and it tore Ciel apart bit by bit._

_Blood soaked the floor, body parts scattered across the room like dirty clothes. The door to the boy's cage creaked open. The man reached in, ready to kill the unconscious girl at his side._

_Ciel jumped in front of the girl, "No! Not her!"_

_The man simply smirked and pulled back his hand, "If that's what you wish."_

_Ciel unsteadily exited his confinement, his legs trembling violently. However, he was well enough to follow Sebastian out of the building and into the open air that he hadn't seen in over a month._

_While the two remained silent, voices buzzed around in the young boy's head. "Why did you abandon her?"_

_"You could have saved her."_

_"You know they'll come back."_

_"They'll just keep torturing her." _

_Over and over, the voices taunted him, riddling him with guilt about choices he didn't make._

_"You __**want**__ her to suffer, don't you?"_

_That one question alone made the quivering boy fall to the ground. His heart was heavy and tears poured out of his already puffy eyes, "A-Anna... I'm s-so sorry..."_

* * *

Ciel nearly gasped at the flashback. He and the injured girl both stared wide-eyed at each other.

"Young Mistress, I'd like to introduce you to my Young Master." Sebastian spoke, breaking the silence. "This is Earl Ciel Phantomhive, the Quee-"

The girl cut off Sebastian's introduction as she stormed towards the young noble and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "I don't want **anything** to do with you." The sharpness in her tone caused the boy to jump slightly in her grip.

Ciel was completely at a loss for words.

The girl then turned her back towards him and headed towards the staircase.

"Annalise!" Sebastian called out, stopping the girl in her tracks.

She felt her stomach flutter as the man said her name. She turned around slowly as she stared at him with tears in her eyes.

She had looked utterly torn.

"Please don't call me that." She spoke, her voice no louder than a whisper.


	9. Connections

Chapter 9: Connections.

"Annalise!" Sebastian called out, stopping the girl in her tracks.

She felt her stomach flutter as the man said her name. She turned around slowly as she stared at him with tears in her eyes.

She had looked utterly torn.

"Please don't call me that..." She spoke, her voice no louder than a whisper.

The name had brought back so many unpleasant memories for the girl.

The butler remained where he was in silence, his face clearly showing that he did not wish to upset the girl any further.

Without anyone even noticing it, Ciel had run up to her and grabbed her by her wrist. Her back was turned towards him as he stared at her with glassy eyes, "Anna, ple-"

"Please." She spoke quietly as her voice wavered slightly, indicating that she was on the brink of breaking down. She didn't dare turn around to face the boy, "Just stop..."

In that moment, Ciel's heart had dropped. The girl continued to walk forward, her thin wrist easily slipping out of his hand.

She stopped once she was in the middle of the staircase, "Phantomhive's your last name, right?"

He wiped away one of the fallen tears as he spoke, "It is, why?"

"I went through **hell** because of that name." She muttered, resuming to make her way up the staircase and down the hallway.

Ciel sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Sebastian cautiously took a step forward, "What now, Young Master?"

"Lets just go back to the manor." Ciel mumbled, dropping his arms to his side and walking towards the door.

The demon hesitantly followed behind him, not wanting to leave his beloved mistress alone in the emotional state she was currently in.

* * *

It was already midnight, and the young earl lied awake in his bed.

"Is something wrong, Young Master?" Sebastian asked, sitting the candles down on a small table as he tucked the boy into bed.

"Why did she snap like that when you called her by her name?" Ciel asked, looking over at the tall butler.

He sighed silently, "Around the time she supposedly left the orphanage, she was kidnapped. She was horribly beaten and abused, and once she escaped her confinement, she wanted to forget about the past. She wanted to be someone else. Someone who was happy."

The boy furrowed his brows, "So what is it that she goes by, then?"

"Cassie." The butler stated, "It's not too far from her real name, considering that it's a shortened version of Cassandra, but it's different. She didn't want to forget who she was, she only wanted to forget what she went through."

"I see..." The earl spoke quietly as he looked away. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"What do you mean, my lord?" Sebastian asked as he narrowed his eyes at the boy.

He shook his head, "It's nothing... But there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

The demon had faintly risen his brow, "And what would that be?"

Ciel rolled over on the bed, his back facing the dark butler. "What is your relationship with Ann-_Cassie_?"

"Do you recall the night you first became my young master?" Sebastian had questioned, picking up the candles he had previously set down. "You had asked me not to hurt the young girl who shared that cage with you. As I'm sure you may remember, that little girl was Miss Cassie. When you asked me to spare her, I assumed she must have been someone you valued very deeply, so I decided to protect her once she escaped her imprisonment... _the first time_..." He said that last bit under his breath, so the young noble wouldn't hear him.

"But you were going to kill her!" Ciel shouted, sitting up in the bed as he glared at his butler.

Sebastian shook his head, "I don't recall ever intending to do such a thing."

The bluenette furrowed his brows as he spoke, "It was right when you finished killing the men and the other children, you opened my cage and reached for her so you could kill her as well!"

The raven-haired butler shook his head once more, "You must have misunderstood my actions, my young lord. When I was reaching towards her, I was going to pick her up so I could bring her with us. You ordered me not to touch her, so I had no choice but to obey. Besides, Miss Cassie _was_ the one who summoned me that night."

The boy clutched the bed sheets as he stared into his lap in complete disbelief, "But... there's no way she could have summoned you... She was unconscious!"

Sebastian stood in the doorway of the bedroom as a small grin claimed his lips, "I assure you Miss Cassie was in fact conscious when I appeared before you that night. You may have thought she was comatose because she was beaten so harshly, but she wasn't. She was merely unable to move or speak. If you had looked at her closely enough, you would see that her eyes were partially open."

"That... That can't be right..." Ciel said under his breath. He was astonished, to say the least.

To think, the very girl whom he had shared his cage with during that godforsaken time was his illegitimate sister _and_ the one who had summoned his butler... This was all too much for the bluenette to process.

"Sleep well, Young Master." The raven butler cooed, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Cassie lied restlessly in the large bed as Sebastian lounged behind her, placing small kisses upon her neck. "Stop it, Sebastian." She grumbled halfheartedly.

The demon let out a soft, deep chuckle and wrapped his arms around the girl, his gloved hands resting on her stomach, "You never let me show affection when I want to, Young Mistress. Are you still upset with me?" He pouted, his voice full of lust.

Chills ran down Cassie's spine, and she was then forcibly rolled over, the two now making uncomfortably close eye contact.

A deep rose colored blush painted the girl's porcelain cheeks, causing the demon to smirk victoriously.

He placed his lips ever so gently onto her neck, causing goosebumps to cover the girl's skin. However, Sebastian seemed to have a habit of not being able to stay serious for too long with the girl.

A wide smile spread across his face and he rained small kisses upon the bluenette's face and neck, making tiny kissy noises while doing so.

"Get off~!" The girl spoke while trying to push Sebastian off of her. Of course she didn't mind the shower of affection; in fact, she loved it. However, these little teasing games were her favorite thing to do after a long day.

"Is that really what you want, my dear?" Sebastian asked, looking deep into Cassie's sapphire blue eyes, a light smirk on his face.

She remained silent, slightly pouting. She didn't want to admit defeat to him, but at the same time, she craved this moment more than anything.

Sebastian chuckled and in one swift movement, sat up, lifted Cassie into his arms, and placed her down on his lap. "If I couldn't tell the difference between your stubbornness and your want for affection, what kind of a lover would I be?" The raven-haired demon spoke softly into the girl's ear.

She rested her head against his shoulder, taking in his heavenly scent. "Shut up..." She breathed quietly.

Eventually, she was so fatigued from such a long day, she had slipped into slumber while in Sebastian's arms. He smiled tenderly as he laid her back down on the bed, placing feather-stuffed covers upon her tiny body.

Nights for a demon are long and tedious, but he was perfectly content with staying by the side of the one he loved. In fact, he was glad to be with her during the night. He could observe her when she's in her most peaceful state.

He sat down on the oaken floors next to the sleeping bluenette that his heart longed for so badly. He watched the small rises and falls of the girl's chest and listened to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

He only wished that he could always see her look as innocent as she did when she was sleeping.

* * *

In the middle of the night, a dream Cassie couldn't remember had woken her up.

In the corner of her eye, she'd caught Sebastian sitting with his back to the bed, eyes closed but not asleep. "Sebastian, you idiot..." The girl said in a groggy voice, moving over a bit more to one side of the bed. "Get up here, I'm not upset with you."

He had turned around to face her, and she smiled tiredly, recieving one from him in return.

Requited, Sebastian obliged, pulling Cassie's small frame close to him. "I'm glad you're not upset anymore." He whispered, resting his head slightly above the girl's.


	10. A Story

Chapter 10: A Story.

Morning came and Sebastian prepared to leave for the Phantomhive estate.

He looked down at the sleeping girl whose small body was sprawled out across the bed. He chuckled lightly to himself as he leaned over her and placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose.

"I hate to leave you..." He whispered silently into her ear, "But I shall return as soon as I can."

He then stood up straight and walked into the hallway as he made his way out of the mansion.

* * *

"It's time to get up, my lord." The butler spoke, waking the young earl from his slumber.

"The sun has hardly even risen, why are you waking me up?" Ciel grumbled, rolling over on his stomach and pulling the covers over his head.

"My apologies, Young Master." He drew back the drapes, allowing the blinding rays of the rising sun to enter the room. "But if I let you sleep in any later, you won't want to get up."

"I have an empty schedule today." The boy groaned, "So why don't you just take the day off and let me sleep?"

Sebastian rose a brow, "What do you mean by that, my lord?"

The bluenette's voice was muffled from the blankets, "I mean exactly what I said."

The raven-haired butler smirked ever so slightly as he then bowed, "Very well, then." He said as he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Cassie's eyes fluttered as she noticed the butler straightening out his tailcoat. She sat up as she rubbed her eyes, "Sebastian?"

"Did I wake you, my lady?" He asked, turning to face the girl.

She shook her head as she crawled to the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Why haven't you left yet? The sun's already up."

He smiled as he stroked her silken navy hair, "I left earlier, but my Young Master told me to take the day off, so here I am."

She tilted her head as she looked up into his piercing crimson orbs, "So you'll be here the whole day?"

He nodded, "Is there anything special you would like for me to do?"

"Tell me a story." The girl requested in a groggy voice, fatigue teasing her with tired eyes and a yawn sitting in her throat.

The demon chuckled softly as he sat down on the bed beside her and looked deep into her cerulean eyes, causing her face to flush, leaving a light pink blush resting on her cheeks.

"Well..." He begun, wrapping his arms around the girl's small frame, holding her close. "Once, there was a man. He had a family, friends, neighbors, everything someone could hope for. He had a simple life, but one day..." Sebastian swallowed hard, forcing a light smile and continuing in a soft tone. "One day, there was a group of people who came from an enemy country. They took the man's family, and they hurt them, oh so badly. Right in front of him..."

Cassie's eyes widened slightly, her heart heaving more and more with each word, yet she didn't understand why.

It was just a story, right? So why was her heart reacting this way?

"And right after they had hurt the man's family, they killed him... Or, they tried to, at least. You know what anger does to a person, my dear Cassie... And the anger you felt the day you called for me... the man felt the same pain. But worse. Millions of times worse. He felt anger, then sorrow, then back to fury again just to return to depression all within seconds. And when overcome with such pain and sorrow, it can change someone. But maybe not for the better... The man's eyes glowed a bright fuchsia, his fingernails turned black and grew out into huge, razor sharp claws. He had no clue what was going on, but he didn't care. The man took revenge for his loved ones that he couldn't save. And once the deed was done, a black fog appeared in front of him. 'I have given you a power unlike any other humans,' the voice said, deep and hoarse, as if it had been swallowing glass just before they'd met. The man was given two choices by the aura." He paused as he took a deep breath.

"One, return the powers he was given and return to life as a human... Or, keep the powers and use them in any purpose of his choosing. Well, the man had no home to go to, no life to return to... So, he kept the powers, and he began his new life as a demon. This man wandered countless lands and encountered billions of people. But no one he cared about nearly as much as his family. The man lived such a lonely life, he resorted to relying on others' pain for his own amusement. He believed he didn't deserve to love, and that he'd never find it again in his life. Until one day he was summoned by a little girl, trapped in a cage and covered in so much blood, she couldn't remember where it came from. A girl with stunning aqua eyes and navy hair that fell in front of her face in the cutest way... The loneliest man in the world finally felt needed... wanted... loved. And although the man had done countless things wrong in his life, and continued to mess up repeatedly, the girl would forgive him every time..."

Sebastian's voice began to crack as he gently pressed his and Cassie's foreheads together, maintaining eye contact. "...Even when he doesn't deserve it."

Her eyes glazed over with tears. She'd never heard anything about Sebastian's past, and she'd never suspected it would have been anything like this.

What was there to say? No words can explain the emotions Cassie felt. So then there were only actions.

She leaned in slightly, interlocking their lips, allowing the kiss to linger as long as she could before finally pulling away, looking deep into the glassy auburn eyes in front of her.

Warmth filled her heart as she then smiled lightly and spoke in a quiet, comforting tone. "I love you."

"I love you too." He spoke, cupping her face in his hands. He smiled as he closed his eyes and remained soundless, cherishing the moment.

"Sebastian." The girl spoke silently.

The demon continued to sit there with his forehead against hers and his eyes shut, "Yes?"

"Why won't you let me form a contract with you?" She asked, her voice distant and sad.

His eyes immediately opened and a feeling of uneasiness washed over him, "Is it necessary for you to ask that? I could never forgive myself if I deprived you from the paradise that comes after death."

She sighed as she pulled away from him and looked down into her lap, avoiding his gaze at all costs. "It wouldn't be paradise if I couldn't spend it with you..."

He reached out to take her hand, "I'll stay by your side until the very end, my dear."

She looked up at him as she held out her other hand, pinky out. "You promise?"

He wrapped his pinky around hers as a small smile claimed his lips, "I promise."


	11. Questions

Chapter 11: Questions.

Once Sebastian finished adjusting the boy's tie, he stood up and brushed off his jacket. "All done, Young Master."

The young earl gazed at his reflection in the mirror as he leaned on his cane. "Do you think Reece Valentine will show up?"

The raven-haired butler shrugged, "There is a possibility that he will, although Miss Dyer never did say whether or not he would attend."

"That woman's hiding something, I can feel it." Ciel muttered, walking out of the room.

Sebastian rose a brow as he followed the boy down the hallway, intrigued by his statement. "You think so, too? I had my doubts as well."

The bluenette shrugged as he strolled down the grand staircase, "I don't really know what it is she could be hiding, but I'm not too concerned about it. If Valentine does happen to come, then most of my questions will be answered."

* * *

The ball was almost over, yet there was no sign of Reece Valentine.

Ciel sighed heavily as he ran his fingers through his navy hair, "He isn't going to show up."

At that moment, the large set of doors opened up, and in walked a devilishly handsome man with ebony black hair that ended just above his shoulders and mesmerizing emerald eyes that had bits of gold scattered throughout them.

He looked around the room, his gaze landing on Ciel, and he stalked over towards the boy with a wicked grin.

Ciel rose a brow as the man approached him, "Can I help you?"

The man chuckled softly, "My name is Reece Valentine, I was told by Miss Dyer that you wished to speak to me."

Sebastian glared at the man the entire time he spoke, almost as if they knew each other.

The bluenette then nodded and held out his hand, "My name is Ciel Phantomhive, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." The man spoke as he shook the boy's hand, paying no mind to the scowling butler beside him. "Miss Dyer said that you wanted to talk about Judith Sullivan. She was a very close friend of mine, so I'd be more than happy to tell you whatever it is that you would like to know about her."

"Samantha Dyer had told me that Judith ran away from home in 1869. Do you know the reason behind that?" Ciel asked, narrowing his eyes.

The raven-haired man nodded, "She ran away from home to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer. Her parents were against it, so she decided to come to London to live with her younger sister, Clarissa, in order to do so. Shortly after her arrival, she was hired by a theatre to be one of their solo performers. Her dancing was very elegant and beautiful, everyone who would come to watch it was amazed by her talent."

The boy folded his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall, "Her sister, Clarissa... Is she still alive?"

Reece shrugged, "I didn't know her very well, to be honest. She's most likely alive, though I don't know where she lives."

Ciel furrowed his brows, "I was informed that Judith suffered from poor health. Did this effect her dancing abilities?"

The man sighed heavily as he put his hands in his pockets. "Indeed it did. She was dying from an incurable sickness that would occasionally shut down some of her senses. As a result, she would often lose the ability to see clearly or hear clearly. One day while she was heading home from the theatre, she couldn't see anything past her fingertips, and... an accident stole her legs from her, and replaced the everlasting love in her heart with emptiness... However, she soon regained the ability to walk again, but she was still unable to perform. She was devastated." He shot a sharp glare in Sebastian's direction at that last sentence, that went unnoticed by the young earl.

"What about her child? ...Did you know she was pregnant?" The bluenette asked.

Once again, Reece nodded. "Yes, I knew quite well that Judith was pregnant. In fact, I was the first person to find out. She was having a girl. She named her Annalise because she remember her lover saying that he liked that name. However, he was not aware that she was pregnant. He never found out about it... until I told him."

Ciel's eyes had widened and he looked up into the man's sharp emerald orbs, "You knew who the father was?!"

He smirked deviously as he spoke, "I knew quite well who the father was. Annalise's father... Judith's _lover_... was none other than Vincent Phantomhive. Who would have ever thought that there could be an illegitimate child of Phantomhive?"

A random blonde woman who stood only a few feet from us instantly spun around with a shocked expression on her face, "There's an illegitimate child of Phantomhive?!"

A lady with chocolate brown hair who stood beside the blonde woman covered her mouth as she gasped, "Does this mean the previous earl had an affair?"

Reece chuckled wickedly as the women began gossiping amongst themselves. "It's only a matter of time before word gets to the Queen. How will she react, I wonder?"

I narrowed my eyes at the man as I clenched my fists, "Who are you, really?!"

His eyes flashed fuchsia as he ran his fingers through his silken black hair, "Mordecai Harvey. Now, tell me where Annalise is, and I'll tell you the _truth_ behind Judith's death."

Sebastian took a step forward, reaching into his breast pocket to pull out a butter-knife, but stopped when I raised my hand. "Why do you want to know where Annalise is?" I asked.

"So I can protect her from _him_." He muttered, glaring at Sebastian.

I furrowed my brows, "What do you mean?"

He spoke in a low, haunting tone. "He was the one responsible for Judith's death."


	12. Thunder

Chapter 12: Thunder.

The ball had ended and Ciel, Sebastian, and Mordecai were in the earl's study. Ciel sat behind his desk, his butler stood by his side, and Mordecai sat on the opposite side of the desk.

"How could Sebastian have been the one responsible for Judith's death?" Ciel asked, narrowing his eyes at the man in front of him. "He said you were the one who killed her."

The raven-haired man chuckled bitterly as he leaned back in the chair. "You shouldn't believe everything your butler tells you."

The bluenette rose a brow as he folded his arms over his chest. "Oh? Then tell me why I should believe _you_."

"I was trying to protect Judith from him." He replied, "He was going to kill her, so I tried to keep that from happening."

Sebastian glared at the man sharply as he took a step forward, "I never had the intention of ending her li-"

The young earl had raised his hand, signalling for his butler to silence himself. He then leaned forward and rested his elbows on the oak desk, intrigued by his butler's reaction. It only showed that there was some truth behind what this demon was saying.

"And what about Annalise? How did you come to the conclusion that I knew where she was hiding?" The boy asked.

A small grin spread across Mordecai's face as he spoke, "Because that butler of yours wreaks of her scent, however, I cannot actually track her scent anywhere near here."

Ciel furrowed his brows as he gazed over to his butler, "You've been sneaking out to see Cassie? Why?" There was no way that Sebastian could smell like Cassie unless he's snuck out to see her, because the day Ciel went to meet her, she went nowhere near the butler.

A surprised expression had claimed Sebastian's face, but vanished almost as soon as it had appeared. "I visit her merely to check on her. I'm sure you can understand the reasoning of my actions, Young Master. She _is_ your sister, therefore I must make sure she's alive and well."

"That's why you looked so shocked then, huh?" Mordecai scoffed.

Ciel narrowed his eyes at his butler when he realized that he did happen to look shocked by the question... His reaction only made the young earl lean more towards believing what the other demon was saying.

Ciel then shifted his gaze to Mordecai, "Why are you set on protecting Ca-_Annalise_?"

The demon smiled and shook his head, "You can call her Cassie, if that's what she goes by. And the reason why I wish to protect her is because I'd like to keep her from having the same pitiful death as Judith." He then sighed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair, "I truly do care for Annalise..."

The bluenette stood from his seat as he stared at his butler, "Then lets go visit her, shall we?"

Sebastian's eyes widened, "Young Master, I don't believe that's a very wise thing t-"

"Sebastian." The boy huffed, "I _order_ you to take us to Cassie."

"Yes, my lord." He spoke in a low tone, bowing slightly. He then made his way to the door, but was stopped in his tracks by Mordecai standing up.

"You don't have to take me to see her today." He spoke, brushing off his jacket. "It is rather late, so I wouldn't want to disturb her. Perhaps another time?"

* * *

It felt like she had laid there for hours. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear a clock softly ticking its way through the echoes of the room.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

She sighed heavily, tired of waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Just as she was about to give up, there was a knock on the door.

She furrowed her brows as she stood up from the spot on the ground she had been lying on and stared at the door.

Who could possibly be at the door at this hour? Sure it was late, but it still wasn't time for Sebastian to come back. She still had at least another hour until his arrival. So, then... who could it be?

She made her way towards the door, curiosity getting the better of her. The moment the large wooden doors swung open, the girl nearly gasped as she took a step back.

In front of her stood a woman with hair that looked like an ocean of gold. She had gorgeous hazel eyes and a smile that was as bright as the night stars. She was beautiful. However, she was a tainted beauty. The expression in her gaze could make even a grown man cower in fear by a mere glance.

Cassie continued to walk backwards, staring at the woman in horror. "I-It's you...W-What are you doing here?"

The corners of the woman's mouth curled up into a menacing grin as she took steps towards the trembling girl. "What? Aren't you happy to see me? It's been such a long time, my dear!"

The bluenette shook her head violently as she clutched the bottom of her nightshirt tightly, "How did you find me?!"

The woman advanced forward and roughly pushed Cassie, knocking her to the ground. "Do you think I enjoy hurting you like this? Because I don't. I love you, Anna, very much. So be an obediant little girl, and listen to me."

"Rot in hell." The girl hissed, slapping the woman across the face and making a run for the door. She bolted out of the manor and into the forest like the devil himself was at her heels.

The night wind blew softly as rain poured from the sky. The bluenette ran as fast as her feet would allow her through all of the trees. She was soaken wet and her nightshirt clung to her small frame.

There was no place in particular that she was headed to, however, she _had_ to get away from that woman.

The sky was so dark, the girl could hardly see anything in front of her. However, she kept going forward, occasionally making turns. She was too afraid to look back, not like she would even be able to make out what was there anyways.

And suddenly, _thunder_. It shook the entire ground, causing the wind to pick up and the trees to sway back and forth.

Why now...

Why now...

Why now...

Why _fucking_ now?!

Her breathing quickened, tears threatening to slip through her large sapphire eyes. She took cover under the closest tree as she squeezed her eyes shut and curled up within herself, hugging her knees tightly. "Sebastian... please get here soon..."


	13. Warmth

Chapter 13: Warmth.

The sky was painted ebony, lighting up brightly every so often with a crack of thunder following behind it.

Sebastian, sitting in the parlor, noticed the rumbling coming from outside. He tried to ignore it, still a bit tense from the meeting he and his young master had with Mordecai Harvey.

_And that was when it hit him._

The demon quickly got up and made his way out of the manor, heading towards the mansion deep in the woods, east from where he currently was.

Once he had made it to the manor, his heart had skipped a beat. The entrance to the building was open, and he could not sense Cassie's presence anywhere.

He rushed into the mansion and swiftly walked up the stairs and down the hall towards the girl's room, only to find that she wasn't there. "_Damn_." He cursed under his breath as he went back outside and headed deeper into the forest, following the girl's scent.

* * *

After several minutes of wandering around the forest, Sebastian finally came to a stop. He stared in awe at the sight in front of him.

It was not Cassie that was in front of him, but rather, it was a trail of blood. _Cassie's_ blood.

"Young Mistress... What happened to you?" His voice was silent, and he began to follow the path the blood made. At first, he was walking. Then he began jogging. Then he started running, full speed, following the trail of blood.

His heart was racing in his chest as he ran faster and faster, wanting to find Cassie as soon as possible and make sure she was alright. "Cassie!" He called out, swiftly dashing past all of the trees.

If he didn't get to her soon, then surely her condition would only worsen. He had to stop the bleeding, otherwise she would lose too much blood and... _No_. Death was not an option.

At that moment, he saw her. She was lying underneath a tree, breathing heavily and whimpering. Her small body trembled immensely and she wouldn't dare open her eyes. Her hands covered her ears, and what seemed to be a large bite wound was bleeding on her left leg.

Sebastian quickly made his way to her side as he then pulled her into his warm embrace. He stroked her wet cerulean hair as he spoke in a low, soft voice. "Everything's going to be just fine, Young Mistress. I promise." He then lifted her up into his arms as he raced back towards the Phantomhive estate.

* * *

Sebastian had just finished tending to Cassie's wound, and she was now lying unconscious in bed.

She seemed to have fallen asleep in the demon's arms on the way to the manor. Not that he could really blame her, she must have been exhausted. Her fear of thunder must've had her restless, not to mention the fact that she was running through the woods for god-knows how long.

It appeared that someone had broken into the mansion and attacked Cassie, resulting in her running outside and further into the woods. As to if the person responsible was a werewolf or not is something only Cassie can answer, because the wound on her leg was definitely a wolf bite.

She could have received the bite whilst running away from whoever entered the mansion, whether it be an actual wolf, or a werewolf. But as previously stated, he would have to wait for her to wake up to get an answer.

Ciel stood tiredly beside Sebastian as he looked down at the sleeping girl. "So, why does she have to sleep in my bed? Couldn't you just put her in one of the guest bedrooms?"

The butler gazed over at the boy with a closed-eye smile. "Because she's your sister, Young Master. Don't you think it would make her feel better faster if she shared the bed with her sibling?"

The young earl furrowed his brows as he spoke. "You don't expect me to sleep in the same bed as her, do you?!"

Sebastian feigned innocence as he opened his eyes to look at his master. "There's nothing wrong with two siblings sleeping in the same bed. That is, unless you don't think of Miss Cassie as a sibling..?"

A rose pink blush spread across Ciel's cheeks as he shot his head in the other direction in attempt to hide his face. "O-Of course I think of her as a sibling! It's just- Wouldn't she get mad if she woke up and I was there? She doesn't actually _know_ that we're siblings, so..." He trailed off as he looked back over to the girl.

The raven butler shook his head, "I don't think Miss Cassie would mind. In fact, I think she would actually enjoy seeing your face when she wakes up."

"Fine." The boy mumbled, walking to the other side of the bed.

Sebastian chuckled lightly as he put the covers over the boy and exited the room.

Although it was true that Sebastian wanted to share the bed with his beloved Cassie, he wanted her and his young master to make up. They both need somebody who can make them happy and take away all their sorrows, and that someone was not a demon.

* * *

It was the middle of the night, and Ciel was awoken by an unfamiliar weight on top of him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Cassie lying half on, half off of his body. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, and her head rested atop his chest. She had her right leg overlapping Ciel's and the injured one curled up underneath her.

Ciel held in a laugh as he began stroking the girl's long navy hair. "I've missed you, Cassie..."

The girl groaned as her eyes fluttered open. "Hm..?" The moment she looked up, her and Ciel's eyes met. They both remained silent for a minute until Cassie reached one of her arms up to her face and rubbed her eye, "Am I dreaming?"

Ciel gazed at the girl worriedly, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine." She mumbled as she scooted over to her side of the bed, resting her head on the pillow so she could still stare at the boy. "What am I doing here..?"

"You lost a lot of blood from a wolf bite you got on your leg, so Sebastian brought you here to wrap it up." He spoke softly, rolling over on his side so he was in the same position as the girl.

She looked into his bicolored orbs as she reached her hand out to touch his face. "Your eye... So you really did form a contract with Sebastian that day..."

He lowered his gaze shamefully as he faintly nodded his head. "Yes, I did... I'm sorry, Cassie... I wanted to protect you, but I just-"

"It's alright." She spoke in a quiet, soothing tone as a small smile claimed her lips. "I know that your intentions were pure. There's no need for you to apologize."

Tears had formed in his large bicolored eyes and he reached out to put his arm around her delicate frame. "I'm so glad that you're okay."

"It's late. We should get back to sleep." She then pulled herself closer to him, their faces merely inches apart. She closed her eyes as she once again wrapped her arms around him. "Goodnight... I love you."

Warmth filled the earl's heart and for the first time in a really long while, he smiled.

"I love you too." He whispered as he shut his eyes, lulling off to a peaceful slumber by the sound of Cassie's breathing.


	14. Flaw

Chapter 14: Flaw.

The raven butler walked into his young master's bedchamber to wake up the two sleeping siblings. He was going to allow them to sleep in, however, the sun had been up for hours and they have yet to get out of bed.

The moment he stepped foot into the room, his brow twitched in annoyance at the scene in front of him.

On the bed lied Ciel and Cassie. The covers were knocked to the floor and Cassie lied atop Ciel's body, her arms and legs wrapped around him. Her lips were slightly parted, resting against the boy's pale neck. Ciel also had his arms wrapped around the girl, but his were placed on her lower back.

Sebastian was jealous, to be honest. Cassie belonged to _him_, not Ciel. But since they _are_ siblings, he decided to let it go and proceed to wake them up.

He walked over to the window and drew back the drapes, allowing the sunlight to enter the room. He made his way to the side of the bed and picked up the fallen blankets, then he nudged the young earl. "It's time to wake up, my lord."

"Don't I have an empty schedule?" He grumbled, "Let me sleep."

"Something came up." The butler spoke, now nudging the girl. "Wake up, Young Mistress."

Cassie rolled off of the boy's body and buried her face under the pillows. "Shut up, shut up, shut up..." She spoke in a groggy voice that was muffled from the pillows. "Whatever business he has doesn't affect me."

Sebastian held in a chuckle as he then threw the blankets on top of the girl's body. "True, however, I need to speak with you about something."

"Get him to shut up." The girl whined as she then kicked Ciel off of the bed, resulting in him falling to the floor with a thud.

"What the hell?!" The boy exclaimed, fully awake.

"You shut up, too." She mumbled, rolling over again with her feet dangling off the edge of the bed as she cuddled the cotton covers the butler had previously thrown on her.

Ciel sighed as he stood up. "Get out so I can get dressed."

She sighed as well as she let herself slide off the bed, only to end up slumping to the floor with a yelp. "Fuck!"

Sebastian rushed over to aid the girl. "Are you alright?"

"Ah, y-yes. It was nothing." She said, smiling reassuringly.

He grinned as he helped her to her feet. "Even so, that's not suitable language for a lady."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." She spoke innocently as she slowly walked towards the bedroom door and into the hallway.

Once she had left the room, Sebastian had begun dressing Ciel.

"What was it that suddenly came up?" The bluenette asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Miss Dyer has requested to see you as soon as possible." He replied, "She said all of Miss Cassie's belongings are still in her old room at the orphanage."

The boy looked up at his butler with solemn eyes. "Do you think we should tell her that we found Cassie?"

Sebastian shrugged, "Perhaps you should ask Cassie."

"You've been watching over her..." Ciel said, "...Has she ever brought up anything about the time she went missing from the orphanage?"

He shook his head as he tied a ribbon round the boy's neck. "She's never spoken of it."

The earl sighed as he stood up to put his coat on. "Then I suppose I'll save that conversation for another time."

* * *

Three servants stood in front of Cassie as Sebastian introduced each of them to her. "This is Mey-Rin, the maid. Baldroy, the chef. And Finnian, the gardener."

They all bowed in unison to the girl. "Nice to meet you, Miss Cassie!"

Sebastian offered the girl a closed-eye smile. "I already informed them of your situation, so there's no need for you to worry. They will watch over you while the young master and I are gone."

She looked at the raven butler with a somewhat concerned expression. "You're leaving?"

He spoke in his usual stoic tone. "We won't be long, so there's no need for you to worry."

She hesitantly nodded, "Alright..."

He then turned to the maid. "Mey-Rin."

She instantly straightened her back as she saluted the tall man. "Yes, Mister Sebastian?"

"Prepare a bath for Miss Cassie and rewrap her bandages within the next few hours, please." He spoke as he walked towards the exit of the manor with Ciel.

Mey-Rin bowed as she spoke. "I'll do it as soon as she's ready, yes I will!"

* * *

An hour had passed since Sebastian and Ciel had left, and Cassie was currently sitting on the staircase with her head against the railing. Needless to say, she was absolutely bored.

It had started to rain outside, and the calming sound of the rain hitting the windows of the manor made Cassie feel a bit relaxed yet weary. After a few minutes of fighting to keep her eyelids open, the girl finally nodded off to sleep.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

Mey-Rin noticed the sleeping girl and quietly stumbled towards the door to see who had come to visit in such weather. "H-Hello, miss!" The maid exclaimed, bowing to the guest.

It was a lovely woman with moonbeam blonde hair who was drenched from the rain. She offered the maid a smile as she spoke. "Would it be alright for me to take shelter here just until the storm passes?"

The maid nodded as she stepped aside, "O-Of course! Is there anything I can get you?"

She nodded as she stalked into the manor, "Could I have something warm to drink?"

"I'll go make you some tea, yes I will!" She said as she bowed once more and rushed to the kitchen.

The woman then turned to find somewhere to sit, and her gaze fell upon the unconscious girl who sat at the bottom of the large staircase. A wicked smirk claimed her lips as she narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Well, isn't that interesting..."

At that moment, she could hear the maid coming back into the room, so she quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere.

Mey-Rin entered the room with a tray in her hands. She shakily made her way towards the woman and gave her the tea. "Here you go, miss!"

She smiled as she took the tea cup off the tray. "Thank you, dear. Is the young earl here, by any chance?"

The maid shook her head, "No, the young master had business to attend to somewhere, so he's not here at the moment."

The woman took a sip of her tea and placed it back on the tray the maid held in her hands. "It looks like the weather has calmed down for the time being. I should probably head home before it acts up again." She said as she walked out the door.

"W-Wait!" Mey-Rin bit her lip as the door shut in front of her. She sighed as she began to go back to the kitchen, "She never said her name..." She mumbled.

Just then, Cassie's eyes fluttered open and she caught the maid just as she was going into the kitchen. "Mey-Rin?"

The maid's eyes widened as she tightened her grip on the tray. "Oh, you're awake! I'll prepare the bath for you in just a moment, yes I will!"

* * *

Cassie took a deep breath as she carefully stepped into the bathtub. Her leg was hurting like hell, but she would tell anybody that. She didn't want anyone to think she was weak.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

The blunette didn't bother turning her head as she let her body sink into the water. "Yes?"

"May I come in?" It was Sebastian's voice.

Her face instantly heated and she hugged her knees close to her body as she spoke. "Why?"

"To help you bathe, of course." She could just hear the smirk in his tone.

"A-Alright..." She called out quietly.

The raven butler then walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He made his way over to the tub as he then grabbed a small cup and began washing the girl's hair.

* * *

Several minutes had passed and the two had remained quiet. That is, until Cassie finally broke the silence.

"It's disgusting, isn't it..?" She mumbled, looking down into the dirty bath water as Sebastian ran the sudsy cloth over her frail back.

"Pardon?" The demon questioned, looking up at the back of the girl's head, unsure of what she could possibly be talking about.

She was beautiful in every way, her frail body was like a porcelain doll, so fragile and so beautiful it needed to be protected and cared for constantly. Her hair was a river of blue, spilling perfectly down past her shoulders, clashing with her milky skin. Her eyes were nothing short of perfect. They were both bluer than the clearest ocean.

There wasn't a single flaw Sebastian could see.

Cassie's voice peeped up, hoarse and ragged as if she were about to lose her ability to even speak. "The scars, I mean."

He scowled slightly at the thought of the marks on the girl's body. They were stains, a sign that showed how used and dirty she was. It was a constant reminder of his fail to protect her.

The demon's naked hands ran up the girl's milky skin, his fingers coming to a stop right next to the crimson mark. He felt the rough skin, forever damaged from the injury it had endured all those months ago.

She originally wasn't supposed to have this brand on her, however, the second time she was abducted, they gave it to her as punishment. Though Sebastian's body wasn't marked with the brand, it was a punishment to him as well. It was the consequence of his failure.

Cassie moved away from the demon's touch, knowing exactly where his fingers lay. "D-Don't... Don't touch it..." She whispered softly, wrapping both arms around herself and looking downwards.

While many human emotions were foreign to Sebastian, he could at least understand why the girl would feel so self-conscious of the mark.

The demon thought for a moment and placed both arms around Cassie's frail torso, one hand placed above her chest, the other against her stomach.

The blunette immediately moved forward as a reflex, wanting to break free.

She saw herself as disgusting and didn't want to be touched, simple as that.

The girl's eyes widened, feeling a thin pair of lips set themselves between her shoulder blades, a light rose blush dusting her cheeks.

"It isn't disgusting, my lady. Every bit of you is beautiful. So beautiful, that even a dirty demon such as myself can see it." Sebastian spoke softly, nuzzling his face into Cassie's back.

The girl's body relaxed and she grinned lightly. "You find beauty in the darkest things..." She spoke silently, closing her eyes softly and turning her face away.

The demon lifted his head and walked around the tub so he could face the girl. He lifted the blunette's face using the tips of his fingers, placing a soft kiss upon her nose. "Dark or light, I still love you, my dear Cassie." Sebastian smiled, pressing their lips together for a moment before he pulled away, simply to look into the girl's stunningly breathtaking eyes.

Cassie smiled, returning a kiss on the raven butler's cheek. "I love you too, stupid."


	15. Cold

Chapter 15: Cold.

The girl sat on a soft, velvet cushioned chair, delicate hands lying atop small thighs. She could hardly hold her eyes open as the maid replaced the bandages on her left leg.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Mey-Rin asked, looking up at the pale girl with a concerned expression.

The bluenette smiled reassuringly as she nodded lightly. "I'm fine, just tired."

The maid smiled brightly as she continued to rewrap Cassie's bandages. "I'm glad to hear you're alright, yes I am! With a wound this bad, I'm surprised you're still able to walk!"

Cassie shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. "It's not as painful as it looks, fortunately. I just have to be careful how I move..."

"If you don't mind me asking, how _did_ you get this wound, Miss?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

The bluenette's eyes widened ever so slightly and she pursed her lips as she tried to think of an answer. She couldn't tell her that she was attacked by a werewolf, it just wasn't believable.

"A-A dog... A very large dog." Cassie stammered, nearly facepalming at her own words. Hell, saying it was a wolf would be more believable than that.

"It must have been a wild one. How strange..." The maid spoke, "Many strange things have been happening lately..."

"Something strange happened?" The younger girl questioned, narrowing her eyes at the maid softly.

Mey-Rin nodded, "It was just this morning! A woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes showed up at the manor and left only a few minutes later."

Cassie's eyes widened and her body began to tremble as her heart skipped a beat.

"Miss? Is something wrong?" The maid asked, worry filling her tone.

Cassie stood as she was about to speak, but the moment she opened her mouth, the wound on her leg started to freeze as if it were turning to ice and an unfathomable pain shot throughout her entire body. She couldn't even scream or cry, she simply fell forward as the world around her dissolved into complete darkness.

* * *

_Her breathing quickened, tears threatening to slip through her large sapphire eyes. She took cover under the closest tree as she squeezed her eyes shut and curled up within herself, hugging her knees tightly. "Sebastian... please get here soon..."_

_Just then, the woman with golden hair and emerald eyes appeared on Cassie's right. "He can't hear you, love. He's not here. It's just you and I."_

_The bluenette's heart raced in her chest as she stuggled to get the her feet. "What do you want from me?! Just go away!" She shouted, running in the opposite direction. The rain made it hard for her to see where exactly she was going, but she managed to avoid hitting the trees._

_At that moment, a loud crack of thunder echoed throughout the sky and the girl winced as she fell to the ground._

_The blonde was quick to make her appearance as she grinned wickedly at the quivering girl. "You can't run away from this, Anna. Soon enough, you're going to have to face the consequences of what you've done." As the blonde spoke, her form slowly shifted into that of a wolf. "It's fate, my dear." She growled, lunging at the bluenette._

* * *

The young girl groaned as she tossed and turned in the bed. She tried to open her eyes, but she just couldn't. She could hear voices around her, but they seemed so distant, she could hardly make out what they were saying.

"Just wake her up."

"She hasn't been getting a lot of sleep, we should just let her rest for a bit."

The other person let out a sigh. "She's been sleeping for _hours_, just wake her up already."

Half awake, the girl listened to the sound of people talking become more and more distant.

* * *

_Cassie managed to dodge the werewolf, but ended up cutting her hand on something in the process. While the wolf was down, she used this time to get as far away as possible. However, she didn't get that far because the wolf was already right behind her._

_The wolf dashed forward, opening her mouth just wide enough that she could catch the girl's leg in it. She bit down hard, the metallic blood of the bluenette seeping into her mouth and down her jaw._

_Cassie let out a bloodcurdling scream as a result and roughly fell to the ground._

_Before the woman could harm the girl any further, a man with perfectly tousled ebony hair stood between the two. "You've done enough." The man spoke sternly. "Leave before I do to you what you did to her."_

_The woman remained in her wolf form as she reluctantly turned around and ran away._

* * *

"Cassie."

_Nudge._

"Cassie, wake up."

A sigh. "Leave her be, Young Master. Miss Cassie needs-"

"Shouldn't you be somewhere, Sebastian? Perhaps making some tea or something?"

There was another sigh and the girl could feel a cool hand brush over her forehead and flick away the hair from her face. And then the sounds of steps fading away.

* * *

_The man then turned to face the injured girl. He stared down at her with sad eyes as he lifted her into his arms. "This isn't how I imagined our first meeting to be... I'm sorry it turned out this way, my dear."_

_"W-Who are you? W-Where are you taking m-me?" Cassie asked between struggled breaths. The pain of the wolf bite mixed with the large loss of blood was draining the girl of all her energy. She was minutes from losing consciousness._

_"Don't worry." He spoke with a calm, soothing voice. He then placed the girl on the ground underneath a large tree so the rain wouldn't soak her anymore than it already had. He put his hands over his ears as he spoke, "Close your eyes and cover your ears like this. You won't be able to see or hear the storm."_

_Cassie nodded as she did what the man said. And he was right. She couldn't see or hear anything. However, that did not help at all for the immense pain she was feeling in her leg._

_The man stood up as he smiled sadly down at the girl. He spoke even though he knew she could not hear him. "You're going to be okay, love... That bloody demon will protect you while I watch from the sidelines... I promise that with time, that will change." He turned around, his back now facing her. "As for now, we'll have to part ways. Goodbye, Cassie."_

* * *

"That's it!" Someone huffed, causing the girl to squeeze her eyes shut.

Suddenly, coldness flashed over her body as someone pulled the blanket away from her. "It's time to wake up!"

"Young Master, please-"

The pale girl's eyes fluttered open and she ended up staring at a familiar bluenette and his butler.

"How are you feeling?" Sebastian asked, quickly taking his place by the girl's side.

"I'm fine." She mumbled. She felt hot now, unbelievably hot and for the first time.

Sebastian glanced at the girl with something more than a casual look. Ciel frowned as well, his eyebrows knitting together and faster than Sebastian could, he leaned in towards the bluenette to place a cool hand on her forehead.

"You seem flushed." He spoke quietly. "Maybe we should get a doctor..."

Flushed? For whatever reason, they both looked at Sebastian for confirmation - or perhaps permission - but he simply shook his head. The raven butler gently swept the girl's hair behind her ears as he motioned for her to lay back down. "You need to rest."

"Rest? She's been asleep for eighteen straight hours!" Ciel muttered, scrunching his brows as he gazed at his butler.

A smirk spread across the butler's face as he spoke. "Six of which you slept with right beside her."

"Shut up." The boy mumbled, looking away as a rose pink blush painted his porcelain cheeks.

"You stayed with me the whole time?" The girl asked, staring at the embarrassed earl.

"Of course." He spoke silently. "I was merely worried about your well-being, that's all."

Cassie couldn't help but smile as she hugged the blanket close to her body. "Thank you, Ciel."

* * *

Hours had passed since Cassie tried to fall back asleep, but she was unable to. She just lied there, staring blankly into the shadows of the room.

Sebastian wouldn't allow Ciel to sleep with her in fear that he might catch a fever as well. So, the girl just lied there all alone.

Her body was shaking horribly from the coldness she felt and no matter how tightly she hugged the blanket around her body, she just couldn't get warm.

Several minutes had passed and Cassie finally came to the conclusion that she was not going to go to sleep. She threw her legs over the edge of the bed, carefully stepping onto the cool oaken floor as she exited the room and began her search for Sebastian.

With every step there was a small limp that nearly caused her to lose her balance on several occasions. So, she leaned against the wall towards her left as she made her way down the dark, narrow hallway.

As she approached the staircase, she could hear the voices of two people talking to each other. Curious, the bluenette cautiously peeked over the railing to see who it was.

Her gaze landed on Sebastian and the man whom she had encountered the night she was attacked. She narrowed her eyes at them as she tried to listen to what they were saying.

"...rissa. I know where she is. She's gone under an alias and she lives in the area. In fact, she was the cause of Cassie's first abduction. I caught her following me down here one day, so I took it upon myself to figure out just what it is that she wants." The man with emerald eyes spoke with a solemn expression.

The girl's eyes widened as she realized who exactly they were talking about.

_"Clarissa."_ She thought. The mere mention of the woman's name sends chills down the young girl's back. She feared that woman almost as much as she feared those masked men who tortured her for all those weeks.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes slightly. "If you knew of this, why didn't you say anything before? Are the two of you working together?"

The other man chuckled softly as he ran his fingers through his ebony locks. "Believe me, it was hard for me to even spare the woman's life when I learned this information. I only kept quiet about it because I was under the impression she just wanted to find Cassie. But of course, it's not as simple as that."

"So what exactly _is_ it that she wants?" Sebastian asked.

The man stared intently at the raven butler as he spoke. "She wants to kill her."


	16. Secrets

Chapter 16: Secrets.

Mordecai stared intently at the raven butler as he spoke. "She wants to kill her."

Cassie's heart raced in her chest upon hearing those words. She knew Clarissa wasn't very fond of her, however she was not aware that the woman actually wanted her dead. She didn't understand why, though. She never did anything wrong, so why?

"Why would she want to kill the daughter of her beloved elder sister?" Sebastian asked, his brows knitting together.

It was that that made the young girl's heart skip a beat. "Daughter of her beloved elder sister?" She repeated under her breath.

Did this mean Clarissa was her aunt? More so, does this mean Sebastian _knows_ who her mother is?

Tears burned behind the bluenette's eyes as she took a step forward, standing at the very top of the staircase as she stared down at the two men. "You know who my mother is?"

Sebastian's eyes widened as he gazed up at the shaking girl. "Young Mistress, I-"

"Do you know who my mother is?" She repeated, trying her hardest to hold back the tears.

He lowered his gaze as he nodded lightly. "Yes."

She furrowed her brows as she clutched the bottom of her nightshirt. "And you didn't tell me? I've been wanting to know who my mother was my _entire_ life!"

The demon took a step forward, sympathetic eyes gazing into sad sapphire ones from a distance. "I only kept it secret from you for your own safety."

She tilted her head as her nails now dug into the fabric of her nightshirt, piercing through the pale skin underneath. "For my own safety? How could knowing the name of my own mother put me in any harm? I just want to know who she is! That's all I ever wanted! I wouldn't go search for her and ask for her to take me back! She got rid of me for a reason, right? I don't want to make her life any worse than I already have! All I want is to know her name and see what she looks like... That's it..."

The reason why she's only ever wanted to know who her mother is rather than her father, is because she already had a photograph of her father that she received when she was in the orphanage. She didn't know his name, but she was just fine with at least knowing what he looked like.

"Your mother's name is Judith Sullivan." Mordecai spoke up, "I have a photograph of her, if you would like to have it."

The girl took a deep breath, trying to calm down so she could actually speak. "Hold on to it..." She spoke with a scratchy voice. It was obvious that she was merely seconds from breaking down.

She turned around and walked down the hallway. Walking turned into jogging, and jogging turn into running until she finally made it to her room. She shut the door behind her and locked it, leaning against it as she then sunk to the floor.

Her heart was beating so fast, it felt as though it could burst at any given moment. Transparent tears spilled out of cerulean eyes as she hugged her legs close to her body.

Why? Why would he keep that from her? She thought there weren't any secrets between them, but to no avail, she was wrong. What other secrets could he possibly be hiding?

Just the thought of him lying to her caused her heartache to increase by tenfold.

She sobbed silently into her knees as she tried to think of why he would keep that from her.

He said it was for her own safety... but how exactly could knowing the identity of her mother put her into any danger? She wouldn't dare tell a soul about her mother if that was the issue. She would be happy with just seeing her face, even if it was just in an old photograph. She wouldn't ask for anything more than that.

"Young Mistress?" Sebastian called out, knocking lightly on the door.

"Go away." She whispered, not daring to raise her voice for she feared he would hear her crying.

"I'm sorry." He spoke quietly, dread in his tone. His hand rested against the door as he spoke to the girl. "It's rather late, though. If you'd allow me to, I can tuck you into bed."

The bluenette stood up and hesitantly unlocked the door. Her hand lingered on the doorknob as she then let out a sigh, opening the door.

Sebastian smiled sadly as he took a step forward, placing his hand against the girl's pallid cheek so he could brush away the fallen tears with his thumb. He leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on her forehead. His lips lingered there as he whispered, "I love you."

This only made more tears flow down her face as she looked away. "You're an idiot..." She mumbled as she climbed into the bed.

He chuckled softly as he placed the large feather-stuffed blankets over her delicate frame. "Would you like me to tell you a story?"

She pulled the covers over her face as she turned her back to where the raven butler was standing. "I don't care."

Lie.

She loved hearing his stories. In fact, it was exactly what she needed at times like these.

He sat at the edge of the bed as he spoke. "This is the story of my last contractee." A sad smile pulled at his lips as he began the story. "Her hair was an ocean of gold. Her eyes were blue skies filled with galaxies of stars. Her skin was delicate porcelain, painted with the most beautiful rose color across her cheeks. Her soul was seasoned with the one thing besides hate that demons craved. It is a spice that demons constantly hunger for, because it is a feeling we are always empty of. Her soul overflowed with love; the way she moved across the dance floor warmed her from the inside out, her feet exploring the ground beneath her in such a sequence it could take even a demon's breath away. However... when they say 'all good things must come to an end,' this rule was not forgiven, even for her. An accident that stole her legs from her, replaced the everlasting love in her heart with the emptiness of loss."

His crimson eyes narrowed softly into the distance as all signs of emotion vanished from his expression. "She called upon me to grant one simple wish. She was willing to give her eternal happiness, if her feet could grace the dance floor once more. I had done what she'd asked of me, reviving her legs for one last song. Although this dance with a demon brought her demise, the love returned to her heart and spilled into her soul. I could see it overflowing, as if light were pouring through her skin, her smile brighter than the sun above us."

A sigh escaped his pale lips as he closed his eyes in an exhausted manner. "The passion... the desire within her... the galaxies of stars that once lay in her eyes... all of it was lost. A third-party demon had come into the picture and swept her away from me. Needless to say, she died and although neither of us had taken her soul, it was no longer attached to her body. What had happened to her still remains a mystery to this very day."

"I don't like this story." The bluenette spoke silently, hugging the blankets closer to her body.

The demon stood up from the bed and made his way to the door as he spoke. "Her name was Judith." With that, he left the room.

Hearing those words only made a feeling of heartache wash over the young girl's entire being.

"I suppose you've made your point..." She muttered under her breath, tears slowly flowing down her face and onto the pillow beneath her head. "...Perhaps it was for the best that you didn't tell me about her."


End file.
